Houses made for pets

The good news is that being a barking mad bloke or a crazy cat lady is getting a lot more stylish.

Architects, interior designers and furniture makers are increasingly moving into the lucrative market of the pet-crazed.

If you'd like to build a dog-house with airconditioning, heating and hot-and-cold running water, American websites are a goldmine for pet-pampering tips.

Photos of the Walker's cats in their pussycat paradise. Photos from The Cats' House book by Bob Walker.

There are also some brilliant examples from Japan.

Advertisement

They may be zany, but these websites also offer some stylish solutions to common pet problems; and with a bit of ingenuity, they won't cost the earth.

Pet furniture, for example, no longer needs to be an afterthought or an eyesore, while pet-friendly features can be attractive and tastefully integrated into your home.

Akemi Tanaka's Curve

Taking things a little further, why not try some bespoke furniture - and don't forget to add pet requirements into the architect's design brief for your next reno or build.

Cats

Scratching posts and "cat house" hidey holes have moved from kitsch eyesores to the status of real furniture.

Kitty Washroom Cabinet for the bathroom

Visitors to your home won't immediately see the disturbing lengths you have gone to for your cats.

Indoor-cat owners will love the idea of furniture to hide litter trays.

Clever disguises include side tables, baskets and even large faux potted plants.

Discreet kitty litter boxes can even sit in the living room

If you can't find a purpose-built litter tray disguise or an attractive cat climber, try the time-honoured "Ikea hack".

The Ikea Hackers websiteis filled with brilliant ways to coax all manner of creature comforts out of Ikea products.

Modifications include ideas for wall-mounted perches and furniture for climbing, scratching and (of course) peeing.

Ikea hacker, Cave Lion's "Billy" Cat climbing shelf hack in action.

American designerAkemi Tanaka has created a stylish way of allowing your cat to display itself among your other artworks.

Tanaka's "Curve" is a wall-mounted, softly-padded display pedestal where your fab feline can pose in comfort, blending seamlessly with other wall-mounted artwork.

At $US200 ($185) for the Curve, you would hope so.

The Cats' House seen here under construction. The Walker's cats carefully supervised all building works. Photo from The Cats' House book by Bob Walker.

For those that want to take it further - a lot further - a book by Bob Walker details how he transformed his home into pussycat paradise.

Walker has built steps and ramps that wind up and around rooms.

There are holes in many walls for his fur family to duck between rooms; they even have access to the roof space above his ceilings.

The Cats' House book by Bob Walker

The motto on Walker's website is: "Where 'good enough' is not enough for our feline family!" His home boasts "140 feet of elevated highway" that crisscross overhead.

And with his his dazzling colour scheme in that mix, The Cat's House must be seen to be believed.

At the most extreme end of cat-friendly accommodation are homes designed from scratch, with ramps, steps, perches, playrooms, secret spaces and ceiling-high catwalks all seamlessly woven into the design.

A ceiling-high catwalk in The Cats' House, Japan by architects Fauna +DeSIGN.

Two Japanese designers have delivered surprisingly inoffensive, even elegant results.

Architects Fauna +DeSIGN were commissioned to create a paradise for 16 cats and a home for their owners and five dogs.

Designer Asahi Kasei had fewer "clients" but also created kitty heaven on earth.

The Cats' House in Japan by architects Fauna +DeSIGN

Both homes provide endless vantage points for the cats to survey their territory.

There are obstacles to negotiate, allowing the cats to exhibit great feats of agility, perches on which to display themselves and places for discreet supervision of their human companions.

The Plus-Nyan cat house by Asahi Kasei

Dogs

Dog-lovers, your faithful friends haven't been forgotten. As dogs tend to be larger and somewhat less agile than cats, they don't get quite the same run of the house.

Much of the focus is on outdoor dog houses, but there are plenty of clever options for indoor dogs too.

Clever hide-away dog bowl drawers

Most interior modifications are limited to ground level; items such as benches, cupboards and the lower levels of bookcases have become new dog-friendly spaces in today's homes.

These aren't necessarily just indulgences either. There are some cunning ideas, such as low shelves to tuck food bowls away from foot traffic, or even using bottom drawers to hide bowls when not in use.

Dogs love being part of the action, but their knack of being underfoot can be annoying and even dangerous.

Denhaus dog beds

To counter this, beds are getting the same treatment as those for cats, becoming incorporated into more stylish items of furniture, such as side tables for small dogs or coffee tables for larger ones.

Builders and architects are unleashing themselves on homes all over the US.

Kitchens get bed areas under bench tops, laundries have purpose-built dog baths and showers and lounge rooms are being fitted with discreet dog flaps tucked into bookshelves set against exterior walls.

Barkitecture by Fred Albert

For a bit of doggy DIY, Barkitecture is a must. This book will supply endless ideas on ways to pamper your pooch.

There are lots of photos and "a witty, tongue-in-jowl commentary", according to the author, Fred Albert.

As for celebrity extravagance, the $30,000 Rachel Hunter dropped on her dogs' "Hacienda" pales into insignificance after you see - yes, you guessed it - Paris Hilton's mind-boggling excesses.

Her little darlings have a 28-square-metre, $325,000 mansion modelled on her own Beverly Hills home.

Their two-story digs not only cost more than a lot of people's homes, Hilton designed it with the assistance of her interior decorator.

Paris Hilton and her dog house. Photo: Life & Style Weekly

This monument to extreme wealth and the lack of even the slightest grip on reality is fitted out with chandeliers, airconditioning, a staircase, balcony, beds, a wardrobe full of outfits and what looks like a bizarre miniature nightclub area set up for pole dancing.

Fish

Hanging Fish Aquarium from Opulent Items

The renowned American architect and designer of Canberra, Walter Burley Griffin, was a man before his time in many ways, especially if one considers his design of the Fishwick Housein Sydney's Castlecrag.

This 1929 house had two fishponds with glass bottoms, suspended from the ceiling of the dining room.

But the design must have turned out to be impractical - who would have guessed – and they were replaced by skylights in the 1930s.

Aqua Sink High from Opulent Items

For a less radical but only slightly less impressive fishy feature, try the sleek Hanging Space Aquarium from America.

This design goes way beyond any standard tank and could probably put most other modern designs to shame.

These slim-line tanks hang from the ceiling giving a full walk-around view of their scaly inhabitants.

Photo of Paris Hilton's dog house from her Twitter account

According to one distributor, Opulent Items, the fluorescent light placed on top of the frame makes the whole set-up glow, "thereby embellishing the ambience" of your home.

The aquarium's filtration system is neatly concealed within the stainless steel tube frame or located many metres away in a more convenient location.

It's certainly expensive - the large model is $US8500 - but for stylish fish-lovers it's an attractive option. Singer Jay-Z's former New York City residence - a $US31 million penthouse - featured some.

Paris Hilton's Pomeranian, Marilyn, striking a pose on the "pole dancing"? stage of the club room in the dog house. Photo: Otis & Lucy Photography

There is no limit to the creativity of tank design, from the elegant wall mounted types to a rather unsettling bathroom vanity style.

The Aquarium Sink is just $US4,500 and the site says they can have one shipped over here in no time. You will need a plumber to install it and the lighting and pump need electricity too.

We wonder if the fish become distressed when water gurgles down the plughole at the centre of their domain.

Pet houses

For people who share their homes with other types of pets, from the standard to the startling, you have not been forgotten.

Cat as artwork on Akemi Tanaka's Curve

Those ingenious Ikea hackers have been beavering away to accommodate all kinds of creatures in a style worthy of their place in your heart.

For the less DIY minded, consult your local pet store, the internet, a builder or an architect.

Remember, they aren't just pets, they're people too.

The Plus-Nyan cat house by Asahi Kasei

Have your say below

Have you gone above and beyond for your pets? How does your home cater to the needs of your furry, fishy, feathered friends?

26 comments so far

I'll be adding catwalks like that to my home.. fact is, they already exist, really. From door to excercise bike to bookshelf to couch to piano to coffee table to toolbox to foodbowl. It just makes sense.

I think fish are getting a rough deal though, as always. Anyone with some knowledge of fish care can tell you the 'Aqua Sink High' setup is completely wrong, and any fish placed in it will live a short and unhappy life. Three second memory and lack of pain receptors are just myths to make fish-killers feel better.And for the cost of that sink, one could afford a very fine setup and enjoy happy fish for many, many years.Goldfish have such fantastic and individual personalities if given the chance to flourish.

Commenter

KillerPython

Date and time

July 29, 2011, 8:24AM

My cat is a complete bogan. He naps in a plastic grocery bag, sleeps on the lump under the doona that is my Staffie, and his favourite toy of the moment is the dead skin shed by a snake. When he wants to put on airs, he curls up in the Mexican pottery bowl on the dining room table. He is also totally captivated by leaves blowing the wind, twigs that move when he steps on them and the fearless and cheeky willy wagtail that torments him at every opportunity.

Maybe folks need to invest in all these accoutrements because they have neither the time nor inclination to cuddle their pets and show them the love and interest they crave.

Commenter

M T Pockets

Date and time

July 29, 2011, 8:31AM

I love the cat walks ! and turning the lil darlin's into deco's.I have four cats and generally anything i give or make them is hit and miss if they will use it, but seeing a doco on leopards in africa, there was a program building platforms in trees for them gave me the idea to stick the broken old banana lounge into our aple tree, its been a resounding success, summery days they lay on it under green foilage, winter days when sun hits it there up there, only thing i ever done for them that seems to have hit some primal instinct in them. a great article anyhow, loved it.

Commenter

Cherry

Date and time

July 29, 2011, 10:23AM

The catwalks look brilliant! but in my experience cats are much more fond of going where they're not supposed to be, and so after all the expense and bother of installing them you'd still find your cat up the curtains, on top of the wardrobe and snoozing on the kitchen counter. And dogs would much rather sleep in your bedroom than out in the backyard, be the doghouse never so fancy. So I don't bother going above and beyond for my pets - they're more interested in me patting them than having a fancy house.

I note the website for that hanging aquarium doesn't say anything about how to clean them. I guess you leave that chore for your poor housemaid to figure out. But the dog peek sounds like a good idea. Dogs love knowing what's going on, they're like the neighborhood gossip.

Commenter

photondancer

Date and time

July 29, 2011, 11:50AM

Dear Ed, your article is giving me hayfever!...sniff

Commenter

ben-e-boi

Location

Sneeze on River Snot

Date and time

July 29, 2011, 12:04PM

Ha! These are brilliant! Everyone knows that cats invented The-Floor-Is-Made-Of-Lava game... my late kitty used to do a lap of the room before bed, without ever touching the floor. My mum's cat sits on the crossbeams of the gazebo and lords it over everyone, with an occasional paw-swipe to keep things interesting...

Commenter

marissa

Date and time

July 29, 2011, 12:05PM

I'm thinking of hiring out one of our cats - shredder for hire.

You'd think the boxes we indulge her with would be sufficient, but apparently the slip cover of the lovely hardback we recently bought as a gift had a nice chewy texture, too.

It's a worry when you have to hide the library books from the cat.

Commenter

Mabel

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

July 29, 2011, 12:08PM

This is actually a really informative article with a lot of good links, but you totally alienate your target audience by calling them "obsessed" and "crazy".

People have kids and have their homes overrun by all manner of plastic crap, yet they aren't publicly denigrated. Owning a pet is a legitimate lifestyle choice too.

Commenter

B

Date and time

July 29, 2011, 12:13PM

Nice to see that I'm not the only one out there that is pet mad. We have 2 dogs & 3 cats that all live inside. Too cold for the babies outside. The cats have their own bedroom complete with double bed & the dogs have leather lounges & our king size bed to use as they see fit. Those cat walks have got me thinking.

Commenter

Schultz

Location

Eastern Suburbs

Date and time

July 29, 2011, 12:26PM

Be careful with the Pet Peek. Some dogs bark at what they can see but not get to, not what they can hear but not see. Total block out is the only thing that works with mine. It is cute though.